Your Switch 2 can't do this but my Steam Deck can

Summary

As nice as the Switch 2 might be, a Steam Deck offers access to multiple game stores, and often better discounts.
The Deck’s Desktop mode supports web browsers, game emulators, and productivity apps, including Windows software if you know what you’re doing.
Cloud play is incidental on the Switch 2, whereas Deck users get access to GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. You can play the latest games at maximum detail.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here, after months of official teasing and a year of rumors suggesting it was imminent. It might well have launched late last year if Nintendo had been able to build up enough stock. That would’ve saved the company some headaches, too — with high tariffs in effect, it had to get creative to keep US prices in check.

You shouldn’t automatically rush to buy the console if you can find one, though. The handheld gaming market has become a lot more interesting since the original Switch, with handheld PCs like the ASUS ROG Ally X and especially the Valve Steam Deck making a big splash. The Deck continues to have a few advantages over a Switch 2, despite the original LCD model shipping in 2022, and your money might be better spent there depending on your priorities.

Playing Time: 3-12 hours
Brand: Valve
Weight: 1.41lb (640g)
Chipset: AMD APU

A Steam-Deck OLED connected to a Hisense U6N TV.

How to turn a Steam Deck into a TV gaming console

You can play PC games on your TV without buying a desktop or laptop.

1

Access multiple game stores

With selection and competition and discounts, oh my

A screenshot from Alan Wake 2: The Lake House. — Remedy Entertainment

Remedy Entertainment

If you’ve got a Switch 2, there will forever be one place you’re allowed to buy games: the Nintendo eShop. That makes sense to a degree, since it’s a niche platform, and many of the titles are Nintendo’s anyway. But that does create some problems — above all, Nintendo has a monopoly on what gets sold and how much it costs. Notice that it rarely ever offers meaningful discounts on first-party software — The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is $60, over eight years after it was released. The game’s Switch 2 upgrade is even more expensive.

It’s possible to build a decent library without spending any more than $10 per game.

While the Steam Deck limits you to the Steam Store by default, it’s possible to install third-party stores via the handheld’s Desktop mode. You’ll have to jump through a few hoops, but at least alternatives are supported, opening up access to wider sales and gaming libraries.

Should you stick with the Steam Store, you’ll still get far better discounts. It’s not uncommon for Steam games to get 10 to 25% off a few months after their initial release, and as much as 50 to 75% off if they’re older. If you don’t need the latest and greatest blockbusters, it’s possible to build up a decent library without spending any more than $10 per game.

Apple’s new gaming app is already doomed, please prove me wrong

A fresh coat of paint won’t fix Apple’s underlying problems with games.

2

Run web browsers and productivity apps

Turning a console into a full-fledged computer

The Steam Deck's Desktop mode. — Liam Dawe/GamingOnLinux (Creative Commons)

Liam Dawe/GamingOnLinux (Creative Commons)

While there was technically a web browser built into the original Switch, it was hidden unless you used complicated tricks to expose it. Presumably, Nintendo was worried about people using the browser as a vector for exploits, but the result was that you couldn’t do something as basic as look up game tips, never mind banking, cloud gaming, or writing an essay in Google Docs. The Switch 2 appears to carry on this restriction.

The Steam Deck supports multiple browsers in its Desktop mode, and even guides you through installing Google Chrome in a way that lets you access it through the default Game mode. If you really want to get some work done, you can also install a variety of other productivity apps, including Windows software if you use the right Linux containers. Diehards can attempt installing Windows proper, although you’d better have some serious technical savvy. You’ll be stuck with a Windows-only machine unless you search for third-party instructions to set up dual-booting.

4 reasons I’m not upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 (at least not yet)

Just because the tech is ready doesn’t mean you need it right away, or that you’ll even benefit.

3

Run emulators to your heart’s content

Play more than just Nintendo’s history

Emulated games in the Steam Deck library. — EmuDeck

EmuDeck

Nintendo detests emulators, which makes sense. The company includes access to many of its NES, SNES, and Game Boy games with a Switch Online subscription, and expects you to pay even more to unlock its limited N64 and Sega Genesis libraries. On a deeper level, it wants to maintain control of its property, no matter if there’s no longer a legal way of playing something. Many games from 30 or 40 years ago have effectively been abandoned.

Via the Steam Deck’s Desktop mode, it’s possible to install emulators for a wide variety of platforms, including arcade cabinets and outdated Xbox and PlayStation consoles. In fact, I’d recommend that most Steam Deck owners take advantage of EmuDeck, which installs and manages multiple emulators at once.

Note that while emulators often sit in a legal gray area, ROMs and other game files may be illegal.

I tried both RetroArch and RetroPie to find out which emulator is actually better

Both emulation platforms offer a lot of customization and several old-school devices.

4

Cloud gaming

Play beyond your means

id Software

Nintendo offers limited cloud gaming on the Switch platform, but it hasn’t fully committed to it — it’s just a performance workaround for a handful of releases. That means that if a game does support the Switch 2’s specs, you’ll have to download it as usual or buy the retail card. And you can forget about playing non-Switch titles.

You can run things like Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom: The Dark Ages at maximum detail with smooth framerates.

Conversely, if you’ve got an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can stream any Game Pass title on your Steam Deck. You’ll have to use Microsoft’s Edge browser, but there are official instructions for making it work. Meanwhile, Nvidia recently released an official GeForce Now client for the Deck, allowing you to play games from several connected stores, such as Steam, Epic Games, and GOG. You still have to buy the games individually — but this can potentially be a way of unlocking titles that wouldn’t run on any handheld, or improve the graphics of the ones that do function. With one of GeForce Now’s paid plans, you can run things like Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom: The Dark Ages at maximum detail with smooth framerates. It’s a remote server that’s doing the hard work.

Just be aware of the limitations of cloud play. Aside from possible fees, a weak internet connection can lead to input lag and visual artifacts. You’ll want a rock-solid Wi-Fi connection paired with ample internet bandwidth.